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BANGKOK - THAILAND's Supreme Court has denied ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra permission to travel to China and Britain as his first corruption case is set to go to trial, an official said on Thursday.
Mr Thaksin was required to surrender his passport after he was arraigned on corruption charges, but the courts so far have regularly granted him permission to travel overseas.
He has made several trips to Britain, where he owns the Manchester City Premier League football club, while also travelling around Asia.
But the Supreme Court on June 24 rejected a request to visit China and Britain, saying Mr Thaksin had not provided enough reason to justify his travels.
'The judge ruled that while the court is in the process of deliberations, receiving testimony and other evidence, his request for travel was not justified,' a court official said, in the first public comments on the issue.
Mr Thaksin faces trial on Tuesday on corruption charges accusing him of using his powers as prime minister to arrange a bargain property deal for his wife.
Mr Thaksin and his wife Ms Pojaman deny any wrongdoing.
The case is the first against Mr Thaksin to go to trial since the military toppled his government in 2006, accusing him of widespread corruption and disrespect to the nation's revered king. -- AFP
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